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Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Boost to agroforestry as Laikipia County distributes tree seedlings

By Bob Aston

The Laikipia County Government
through the Laikipia County Development Authority (LCDA) continued its efforts
at forest restoration and agroforestry by issuing 10,000 tree seedlings to 200
farmers from Ol-Moran Ward in Laikipia West Sub County on May 20, 2016.

Kahuruko beneficiaries with some of the tree seedlings

Mr. Charles Keru, Ol-Moran
Ward Administrator, oversaw the disbursement of the tree seedlings at Kiriko
Borehole, Sipili Primary School, Ng’arua Maarifa Centre, and Kahuruko Centre. The
beneficiaries drawn from Sipili, Wangwachi, Kabati, and Dimcom Sub Location
each received 50 seedlings.The Laikipia County
Development Authority (LCDA) is implementing the 4-year tree-planting project in
collaboration with the Kenya
Forest Services (KFS), and Kenya Forestry
Research Institute (KEFRI) among other partners.

The project aims to
respond to the dwindling forest cover in the County and to mitigate against the
effects of climate change by ensuring communities in Laikipia County plant 40
million trees. The program has ensured that communities plant trees in
individual farms, education facilities, as well as gazetted forests.

The Ward Administrator said
that planting more trees through forest restoration and agroforestry could help
create more diverse, productive, profitable, healthy, and sustainable land-use
systems.

He urged the
beneficiaries to plant the seedlings in areas that are free from grazing, trampling,
or other foreseen risks by having a fence around them. In addition, they must
pit holes, follow the right spacing and orientation, as well as conduct gapping
to ensure that they maintain the number of trees.

“It is important that
farmers take good care of the tree seedlings. You are now Laikipia County
Ambassadors in environmental conservation,” said Mr. Keru.

He urged farmers to
either practice agroforestry, boundary planting, mixed boundary or establish
woodlots. He said that this would ensure that farmers get timber for building
and fencing, firewood, fodder, windbreak as well as conserving the environment.

Some of the beneficiaries at Ng'arua Maarifa Centre

According to Laikipia
County Government, the County needs to plant an additional 38 million trees in
order to reach the 10 percent target. The county data indicates that forestland
stands at 6.9 percent of the County.

Andrew Kinyua, A.K Gatimu
Tree Nursery Owner, thanked the County government for purchasing the seedlings
from local nursery owners. He said that promoting local entrepreneurs would
uplift the livelihood of many community members.

He said that this year
has been the best as he has managed to sell more than 4,000 seedlings to the
County government. He noted that lack of recognition had previously demoralized
most nursery owners.

He urged the County
government to continue giving local nursery owners priority when purchasing
seedlings as most of the nurseries are certified.

“I have always been keen
on environmental conservation. I am glad that the County government wants us to
plant 10 million trees this year. This noble initiative will not only empower
us but would also ensure that we protect our environment,” said Mr. Kinyua.

Similarly, Mr. Johnstone
Ndiritu, from Spenco Tree Nursery thanked the County government for purchasing
seedlings from local nursery owners. He said that the initiative has motivated them,
as it is always hard to sell large quantities of tree seedlings like this year.

On her part, Mrs. Damaris
Kamau noted that most farmers do not take the issue of environmental
conservation seriously. She said that the County government has enabled most
farmers to appreciate the importance of trees in increasing the capacity for
climate change resilience and mitigation as well as preserving the soil.

“I am passionate about
environmental conservation. I will ensure that I take good care of the 50 tree
seedlings. We have to unite to ensure that we help the County government to
plant 10 million trees this year,” said Mrs. Kamau.

The tree seedlings disbursement
follows last month’s tree planting launch in Ol-Moran Ward by Laikipia Governor
Joshua Irungu at Sipili health centre in which community members planted 730
trees.

Increased population,
demand for fuel wood and building materials as well as other land uses in
Laikipia County has led to massive deforestation as well as dwindling water
resources. This has had an overwhelming impact as indigenous forest cover
within the forest reserves of South –West Laikipia has reduced considerably.

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